1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage cabinet for electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art and Summary of the Invention
For some time, there has been rapid growth in the area of cellular telephone services, both in the volume of calls and in the geographical areas in which such services are offered. Efficient cellular telephone services require the placement of expensive and fragile cell electronics at various locations throughout the geographic service area. With this rapid growth, cellular telephone companies are using an increasing number of such cell electronics and have been attempting to find and secure suitable locations to house these electronics.
Cellular telephone companies locate the cell electronics in storage housings. The housing typically comprises a small cabinet that defines a storage space in which the electronics are located. The housing must provide shelter to the cell electronics against conditions such as rain, wind, and temperature variations, as the cell electronics are highly susceptible to damage from water and may also be damaged by extreme temperatures. In addition to the sensitive cell electronics, the units are typically provided with at least eight storage batteries to power the cell site in the event of a power failure. The standard size for these storage batteries is approximately 11".times.63/4".times.135/8". While the storage batteries rarely require repair, they also require protection from the elements and occasionally must be replaced.
Some companies are building above-ground storage housings and locating the housings on easements. However, if the housing exceeds a certain size, generally greater than 6 feet in height, 8 feet in width, and 10 feet in depth, the housing is deemed a "structure" under most building codes. The builder must therefore design the housing to meet building codes, obtain a building permit and also have the housing inspected to ensure that the housing complies with local building codes. As building codes are generally not written with the requirements of cell electronics housings in mind, building the housing to meet the codes will often unnecessarily increase the cost of the housing. The permit process also adds costs and is time-consuming.
There are also other drawbacks to locating the housing within an easement. Specifically, easements are usually narrow, which limits the available dimensions of the housing. Also, because a third party owns the land on which the easement is located, there is typically an absolute prohibition against building a housing that exceeds certain dimensions so as not to interfere with the land owner's use and enjoyment of the land.
To avoid the foregoing problems associated with larger structures, the electronics housings are typically built as small as possible. The housings are therefore cramped and are barely large enough to store and protect the sensitive electronic equipment. If maintenance or repairs on the electronic equipment is performed during inclement weather, such as during rainstorms, the service person must uncomfortably stand in the rain and also risk water damage to the electronic equipment. Unfortunately, equipment failure often occurs or is detected during inclement weather.
Other types of electronic cell housings are buried completely below ground in easements. This allows the housing to be built larger while avoiding the permits and building codes that are associated with above-ground housings. However, there are several drawbacks associated with these housings. For instance, the construction of an underground housing is difficult and costly. The installer must dig a large and deep hole which requires the leasing or purchasing of special digging equipment, as well as trained personnel to operate the equipment. The installer must also use special shoring equipment to support the hole against collapsing during construction of the housing. Additionally, as the depth of the hole increases, the likelihood of encountering underground water also increases, which makes construction even more difficult.
There are also several disadvantages after the underground housing is built. Water located underground often corrodes the walls of the housing. The water can leak through the walls and enter the storage space and damage the sensitive equipment. Additionally, the water can leak into the housing when the door of the housing is opened during rain storms. There is also a risk of the housing collapsing from the weight of the soil on the structure.
Companies also locate the cell electronics housings on private property in an attempt to avoid some of the problems associated with storing the electronics on easements. By locating the electronics housings on private property, companies may build a larger housing that has ample space for the electronic equipment and for personnel and at the same time avoid the limitations on size associated with easements. Unfortunately, if the size of the housing exceeds certain dimensions, the housing will still be covered by standard building codes, resulting in the associated added costs and delays. Additionally, the use of private property for storing cell electronics is very expensive. The company must either pay to purchase the property or pay to lease the property. Such costs are highly undesirable in the extremely competitive industry of cellular telephone services.
Cellular telephone companies are thus faced with the dilemma of choosing between a variety of undesirable alternatives regarding storage of the rapidly increasing number of cell electronics.
There is therefore a need for a storage housing for electronic cell equipment that does not suffer from the aforementioned drawbacks. The housing should provide ample storage space for cell electronics and also allow enough room for a service person to step into the housing and stand upright during maintenance. While providing such ample space, the housing should also be small enough to be located on an easement. Additionally, the housing should provide reliable protection for the electronic equipment by preventing leaking or water spillage into the housing during inclement weather.
One aspect of the invention is an electronic storage cabinet including a housing defining an exterior envelope and enclosing an interior space. A support surface is positioned within the housing. The interior space of the housing is sized to accommodate an electronics rack and a person standing upright on the support surface. The housing includes partially buried sidewalls, a top wall above ground level, a bottom wall spaced below ground level, and a support surface space below ground level. At least one of the walls defines a door opening having a lower edge spaced above ground level and a door connected to the housing positioned within the opening.
A first portion of the housing extends above ground level and a second portion of the housing is buried below ground level, with the second portion of the housing desirably being water-proof. Advantageously, the lower portion of the housing extends to a depth of no more than 42 inches below the ground surface for ease of installation, and to avoid extending below the water table. Advantageously, the upper portion of the housing extends no more than 72 inches above the ground surface to minimize the above-ground profile of the cabinet.
Desirably, the support surface has an area of at least 8 square feet to provide a comfortable amount of space for the worker to stand or kneel upon while performing repairs. The cabinet may advantageously include a storage space below the support surface, which can be accessed by a removable first floor. Desirably, the removable first floor has a width of at least 36 inches and a depth of at least 30 inches, thereby permitting a standard electronic storage battery to be removed therefrom. Similarly, this storage space desirably has a height of at least 12 inches to permit the storage of such batteries in such storage space, and a volume of at least 7.5 cubic feet to facilitate at least 8 storage batteries being stored within the storage area.
Advantageously, the sidewalls comprise concrete and the second portion of the cabinet is coated with a water-proof coating. The cabinet can be provided with a step between the support surface and the lower edge of the door opening to facilitate safe access to the support surface, particularly when carrying tools or other equipment. Advantageously, the step is removable without tools to permit the removable first floor to be made larger, thereby further facilitating the removal of storage batteries from the cabinet.
Another aspect of the invention is an electronic storage cabinet, including a housing having the first portion positioned above ground level and a second portion positioned below ground level. The first portion defines an exterior envelope having a height no greater than 72 inches, a width no greater than 96 inches and a depth no greater than 96 inches. The second portion defines a height no greater than 36 inches and encloses an interior space. The interior space defines a work space and a first storage space. The work space has a height of at least 77 inches to permit a worker to stand on the support surface to perform maintenance on electronic equipment stored within the first storage space. The first storage space has a height of at least 77 inches, a width of at least 36 inches and a depth of at least 24 inches. The housing defines a door opening at least 3 inches above ground level and a door connected to the housing to substantially seal the housing against inclement weather when the door is shut.
Desirably, the second portion of the cabinet defines a width no greater than 96 inches and a depth no greater than 96 inches, to minimize the amount of digging necessary to install the storage cabinet. Desirably, the cabinet defines a support surface upon which a worker may stand and a secondary storage area located below the support surface. Preferably, the work space has a width of at least 36 inches and a depth of at least 30 inches to facilitate ease of worker movement within the cabinet. Similarly, the first storage space desirably has a width of at least 36 inches and a depth of at least 24 inches, to provide adequate storage space for the electronics. Advantageously, the cabinet defines a removable floor having a width of at least 36 inches and a depth of at least 30 inches to facilitate the removable of standard storage batteries from the secondary storage space.